Berengar I of Italy

Berengar I of Italy (845-7 April 924), also known as Berengar of Friuli, was King of Italy from 887 to 924 (succeeding Charles the Fat and preceding Rudolph II of Burgundy) and Holy Roman Emperor from 915 to 924 (succeeding Louis the Blind and preceding Otto the Great).

Vassal of Charles the Fat
Berengar was born in 845, a son of Eberhard of Friuli and Gisela of West Francia. He was from the Unruoching dynasty on his father's side and from the Carolingian dynasty on his mother's side, and he married Bertila of Spoleto to form an alliance with the Supponidi of Spoleto. In 874, he succeeded his older brother Unruoch III of Friuli as the ruler of the March of Friuli, and he had lordship over several lands in northeastern Italy. Berengar cooperated with Charles the Fat during his invasion of Italy in opposition to Charles the Bald of West Francia, but his 883 siege of Spoleto failed due to an epidemic. Berengar lost the favor of the emperor when he deposed Liutward of Vercelli due to Liutward's abduction of Berengar's sister, but in May 887 he compensated for this by giving great gifts to Charles the Fat. In 887, he was named Charles' heir in Italy despite Louis the Blind being chosen in Germany, and he was crowned King of Italy.

King of Italy
On 26 December 887, he began his rule in Pavia, leading the pro-German faction as Guy III of Spoleto led the pro-French faction. He made an agreement with Guy in which Berengar would rule Italy and Guy West Francia on Charles the Fat's death, but Guy failed in his bid to take West Francia in 888 and returned to Italy with an army. At Brescia, Berengar won a pyrrhic victory, and he signed a truce with Guy. He was later forced to be a vassal of Arnulf of Carinthia when he arrived in Italy, and Arnulf celebrated Christmas in Friuli. In early 889, the truce with Guy expired, and Guy defeated Berengar at the Trebbia, making himself King of Italy. Berengar continued to rule Friuli, and he appealed to Arnulf for assistance. In 893, Arnulf's son Zwentibold of Lotharingia to help Berengar in fighting against Guy, defeating him at Bergamo in 894. However, in 896 it was rumored that he allied with Adalbert II of Tuscany against the emperor, betraying him. Otto had Walfred of Friuli installed as the leader of the March of Friuli instead of Berengar, and Pope Formosus crowned Arnulf Holy Roman Emperor in Rome. Arnulf left Italy to his son Ratold of Italy, but Ratold later followed him, leaving Berengar in control of Italy. Berengar made a pact with Guy's son Lambert II of Spoleto, and Berengar decided to rule southern Italy while Lambert ruled northern Italy, dividing the peninsula in half. This peace did not last, as Berengar was defeated at Borgo San Donnino while marching on Pavia, and Berengar only secured Pavia once Lambert died on 15 October 898.

Downfall
On 24 September 899, he was decisively defeated by the Principality of Hungary at the Battle of Brenta, and the nobility questioned his ability to rule Italy. In 900, Louis the Blind invaded Italy and was crowned Emperor by Pope Benedict IV in 901. However, Berengar defeated Louis in 902, and he defeated a second invasion of Italy in 905 before blinding him. Berengar consolidated his rule for seventeen more years, and he defeated a Magyar siege of Bergamo in 904. In January 915, Pope John X formed a Christian League in Italy, with Berengar, Alberic I of Spoleto, and other Italian rulers uniting to defeat the Saracens at the Battle of the Garigliano. In 915, he had his wife poisoned due to her infidelity, and he remarried to Louis the Blind's daughter Anna. His younger daughter Gisela of Friuli married Adalbert I of Ivrea in hopes of forming an alliance with the Anscarids, but this effort failed; in 920, Hugh of Italy invaded Italy to seize the throne for himself. He was held back, but Berengar also faced Rudolph II of Burgundy and Adalbert I of Ivrea's rebellious forces - they brought him to battle at Fiorenzuola on 29 July 923. There, Rudolph dethroned him, and he was murdered by one of his own men at Verona at Rudolph's instigation.